Leading Lady

I traveled to Trieste in the northeast corner of Italy assured I could find lively winter sea conditions for a significant trial run of the Prestige 750. But life plays funny tricks, and I did not expect to encounter the mirror-calm ocean, which was in stark contrast to the storm-lashed coasts of my native Britain. The calm was disappointing on one level, but it didn’t stop me from appreciating the qualities of this superb new design.

Right from the start, the 750’s designers set out to have a main-deck master stateroom, something I had not seen before in a 75-footer. And they have more or less achieved it. There are four steps down to the master from the salon, but the stateroom is positioned high enough in the hull to allow significant design changes producing several benefits. Located under the forward coachroof, the master makes no compromises in size or quality.

It has 8-foot headroom, windows that allow you to watch the world go by while lying in bed, a walk-in dressing room and a head with a large shower stall. The generous headroom creates its own challenges, however, because some people may not be able to reach the skylight hatches over the bed without standing on a chair.

Raising the master from the bottom deck also allowed the designers to make the forward section of the hull considerably finer than normal because it lies well below accommodations level. The 750’s sharp entry, combined with her 14-degree aft deadrise, should provide solid performance in a seaway, which was one of the main reasons I was frustrated by the flat- calm conditions.

This yacht’s VIP cabin is amidships on the bottom deck, in the position normally occupied by the master. This means it’s nearly the same quality as the master, but it lacks the views. It does, however, have a large walk-in closet and a generous head on its starboard side. Forward are two twin cabins with their forward ends tucked under the master cabin above, in an innovative use of internal hull space. The port twin has an en suite head shared by the other twin cabin, offering a total of eight berths and three heads, a setup that has a lot of appeal if the yacht is used for charter.

Completing the belowdecks layout is the well-engineered engine room accessed via transom door, and the two-berth crew cabin located against the transom with immediate access to the diesels. The generous accommodation space is thanks to the absence of a tender garage aft. The tender can be carried on the high-low swim platform or on the rear of the flybridge, where an optional davit can be installed.

This yacht’s main-deck salon follows the practical trend of having the portside galley just inside the cockpit doors so that it serves both those at the cockpit table and the guests seated at the stylish glass dining table opposite the galley. Strangely, this is a six-seat dining table when there are berths on board for eight guests. (There is an eight-person table in the cockpit.)

The rest of the salon is given over to an inviting lounge area with a retractable TV just behind the helm seating forward. This helm was raised above the salon level to gain a view through the windscreen. Her helm area is also the passageway to the outside door on the port side. The wheel on my 750 was set low, making it a challenge to sit comfortably for long periods of time. Visibility was also restricted by wide window mullions. But this was a prototype 750, and the production craft will feature a redesign of this area. Prestige will create more space by extending the platform at the rear of the helm seat where the TV is currently located, adding volume at the helm and allowing for improved seating, electronics and layout.

There is a great view and seemingly infinite space on the flybridge, which extends aft over the cockpit. A reverse-­angle windscreen protects the helmsman, and abaft on the port side is a bar counter with a teak dining table and a sun bed to starboard. This whole area is protected by an optional fixed Bimini top, but there is an opening fabric center panel for when you want the sun. More sun bed space is aft, and again there is an extending screen on the rear of the Bimini that offers sun protection. That is, if this area is not used for PWC or tender stowage.

Her exterior styling is sharp and dramatic with the high topsides matched by the long sweeping line of the superstructure as it rises from the coachroof up to the flybridge and then drops slightly toward the stern. It’s a look matched by the cutting-edge styling found in the accommodation spaces. Owners can customize their 750 with a variety of interior styling options and optional equipment.

Additional good points in this new design are the electric privacy screen at the rear of the cockpit; the ability to specify Seakeeper gyro stabilizers and a joystick control system; the wide side decks and generous cockpit size; and the fully equipped galley and its layout. Things needing improvement, apart from the helm redesign, include the fairleads forward, which need their sharp edges removed, and a few minor details such as handholds needed in the salon and insufficient stair handrails. Overall, though, this is a new design that will impress the market.

A pair of 1,200-horsepower, eight-­cylinder MAN diesels provided the power on my test 750. (Twin 1,000-horsepower MANs are available too.) These power plants drive through a conventional shaft and propeller system. In terms of performance, the 750 is conservative with a top speed of 28 knots. This will be more than adequate for most practical purposes, and she offers a strong, all-day cruising speed of 24 knots. She features good acceleration and runs best with the tabs halfway down. Everything about the performance as far as I could test it in the conditions was safe, predictable and designed for cruising. The joystick control allows the helmsman to operate the bow and stern thrusters in concert with the main engines for precise close-quarters maneuvering too.

Prestige’s 750 represents a leap of faith for this builder. She’s the new company flagship in a line that starts at 44 feet and includes Express, Flybridge and Yachts series. She’s a vessel on the cusp of megayacht territory with her main-deck master suite and sheer amount of space and headroom on board, but she’s still easily managed by an experienced cruising family. Her ride is unwavering, her fit and finish are solid, and she offers numerous options at a competitive price point, adding up to what should be her broad appeal. The 750 is a well-calculated risk that should pay many happy dividends for both her maker and many owners.